Chapter 21: Wolf Bandits

The following day, having completed a night of cultivation, Mo Hui resumed his journey toward Heaven Dou City.

This time, instead of traveling on foot, he paid to join the fastest merchant caravan available. After all, Soto City was two thousand kilometers away from Heaven Dou City. As a mere Great Spirit Master, traveling on foot would be far too slow and would significantly hinder his cultivation progress. Joining an experienced caravan, however, would make the journey much simpler.

"You made the right choice joining our caravan, young Master Mo Hui. I guarantee there isn't a safer caravan in all of Soto City. After all, we are backed by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, one of the top three sects," the caravan leader boasted, chattering incessantly as they rode in the carriage.

Mo Hui listened quietly, offering only a faint smile. It was quite some time before the leader, parched from his own self-promotion, finally fell silent. He then glanced at Pidgey, who was perched on Mo Hui’s shoulder, and asked with surprise, "Your pet is quite well-behaved. It just stands there on your shoulder without a cage and never flies off. Where did you buy it? I’d like to get one myself."

"You can't buy this," Mo Hui replied with a light smile. Pidgey was his Spirit—there was only one in this world. Where would one even go to buy such a thing?

"Pidgey!" The bird nodded in agreement; it was unique, and thus impossible to purchase.

"I see. That’s a pity," the leader sighed. He wasn't truly interested in keeping one; he was thinking of the commercial value. A bird this well-behaved would surely be popular among the nobles in Heaven Dou City.

The conversation lulled, and Mo Hui returned to his meditation. Since it was a formal caravan, it was relatively secure, and with Pidgey keeping watch outside, he had no fear of a sneak attack.

Two days passed in a blink. They had covered four hundred kilometers, one-fifth of the journey. If Mo Hui were alone, he could travel faster, but doing so would require constant use of his spirit power and skills, leaving him vulnerable if he were to encounter an emergency. Furthermore, running at full speed prevented him from meditating. For Mo Hui, cultivation was paramount; the years before twenty were the golden age for spirit power development.

Suddenly, a dozen gray figures lunged from the woods on both sides of the caravan, pouncing on the guards riding alongside the carriages.

*Hiss!*

Caught off guard, the guards were knocked from their horses, which panicked and began to whinny wildly. As the guards scrambled to counterattack, a massive force struck, crushing a guard’s head into a bloody pulp with a single blow.

"Roar!" Seeing the gore, the gray figures shrieked with excitement and pressed their assault on the rest of the caravan.

"What’s happening?" The commotion alerted the Spirit Masters within the caravan. Emerging from their carriages, their expressions shifted instantly upon seeing the scene.

"Wolf Raiders! It’s these monsters." The hired Spirit Masters grew grim. Wolf Raiders were not easy to deal with; one slip-up could mean death.

The caravan leader peeked outside and immediately recoiled, trembling in terror. Mo Hui, awakened by the chaos, asked, "Leader, what’s wrong?"

"Wolf Raiders! We’ve encountered Wolf Raiders! Heavens, why is my luck so bad?" the leader wailed. If they were ordinary bandits, he could use the name of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan to intimidate them. Even if they had Spirit Masters, he could usually pay them off. But Wolf Raiders?

Mo Hui quickly recalled what he knew of them. Wolf Raiders were the offspring of the Gale Demon Wolf species and human women. While they possessed a modicum of intelligence, their bloodline made them exceptionally bloodthirsty and depraved. They inherited the physique, speed, and innate abilities of the Gale Demon Wolves. A mature Wolf Raider had the strength of a second or third-ring Spirit Master, making them a nightmare to deal with. Encounters usually required military intervention or the aid of high-level Spirit Masters.

One should not underestimate second or third-ring Spirit Masters. In a population of over a hundred million on the Douluo Continent, only about one hundred thousand reach the 10th level to become Spirit Masters, excluding Sea Spirit Masters. Those above the Spirit King level numbered fewer than five thousand. Even accounting for those in hiding, the numbers remained small. A second-ring Spirit Master was already one in ten thousand, and a third-ring Spirit Venerate could secure a noble title in a small kingdom like Balak.

"Pidgey, let's go take a look." Realizing the severity of the situation, Mo Hui lifted the curtain and stepped out.

"Wait! Young man, don't go out! The carriage is protected; it's dangerous out there!" the leader shouted. To him, a teenager stepping out was walking to his death.

"Pidgey!" After flying high to scout, Pidgey returned and chirped to Mo Hui, confirming the number of enemies.

"Eleven of them?" Mo Hui surveyed the battlefield. The caravan had only six Great Spirit Masters and one Spirit Venerate; the rest were ordinary guards. Facing eleven Wolf Raiders, they were in dire straits.

"Pidgey, we have to act fast, or they won't hold out!" Mo Hui commanded. Two yellow, hundred-year spirit rings rose beneath his feet, and Pidgey began to glow with a faint cyan light.

"First Spirit Skill: Air Cutter!"

As Mo Hui’s first ring flared, Pidgey flapped his wings violently, sending several wind blades streaking toward the nearest Wolf Raider. They reached their target in an instant.